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Sydney AFL Round 2 2018

SYDNEY AFL ROUND 2 2018Article by Michael Shillito

Round 2 saw all games played on Saturday; an unseasonably warm day with the mercury nudging 30 degrees, unheard of for mid-April, with a stiff wind blowing through the city. A wind that fanned the flames in the south-west; and an ill wind of discontent for two of last year’s finallists, who are yet to taste victory this season.

St George have been a fixture in the finals for several years in a row, but the Dragons are yet to open their account in 2018. After an opening round where they were well beaten by East Coast, their first home game also promised to be a tough one, up against defending champions Pennant Hills. And it didn’t get any easier for the Dragons when they found themselves kicking into the wind in the first term.
The Demons were also coming off an opening-round loss. But, helped by the wind, they wasted little time in asserting themselves into this contest. The Demons were looking good early, winning most of the contested possessions and not allowing the Dragons any opportunities to work their way into attack. Some inaccurate finishing would work against the Demons, but four unanswered goals opened their lead up to 28 points at quarter time.
St George had some work to do to get back into the contest, but the Dragons came out breathing fire and lifted their work rate around the ground. It wasn’t always the easiest of conditions, with the inconsistent wind picking up some kicks and blowing them over their targets while other passes failed to reach their mark. But with an increased resolve in the second term, the Dragons found opportunities opening up. And with five goals to one for the quarter, the Pennant Hills’ lead had been reduced to six points at the long break.
The Demons were easily the better side during the premiership quarter; but some wasteful finishing would hold them back. A return of 3.8 for the quarter was a reflection of the weight of scoring chances they were building, but also a reflection of opportunities lost. Some of the shots were from tight angles or a long way out, and the conditions weren’t helpful; but there were some chances that had the Demons faithful shaking their heads in disbelief. But, despite the wayward finishing, the Demons held the Dragons to two goals and held a 20-point lead at the last change.
In the last quarter, the Dragons were coming home to the scoring end. But they were unable to make anything of their attempted comeback in the last quarter. A team with plenty of young players still inexperienced at this level, the Dragons had been under the pump all day and the relentless Demon pressure and the stress of playing from behind all day took its toll. The Demons were in control, and the Dragons were unable to get enough of the ball to compete. It was all Pennant Hills in the final term, with six goals to two, turning the game into a comfortable 48-point win.
With 34 scoring shots to 11 for the day, the margin could easily have been even more. But it was a comfortable return to the winning list for the defending champions and one that sends a message to the Sydney footy world that the Demons will again be genuine contenders when we get to the business end of the season. Alex Goodall was superb for the Demons, kicking four goals in a best-on-ground performance, while Tom Angel and Ranga Ediriwickrama were ball magnets all day.
Tim Coenen, Dom Michalak and Ben Jones were tireless workers for the Dragons on a day when too many of their number were unable to make a significant impact on the game. The draw hasn’t been kind to the Dragons, having to play East Coast and Pennant Hills in the first two rounds; but the results so far have seen the Dragons come well short against quality opposition.

North Shore hosted UNSW-ES at Kanebridge Oval in what would be a wind-affected game that would go down to the wire.
The Bulldogs were kicking with the stiff wind at their backs in the first term, but the pressure the Bombers applied would make it hard for the Bulldogs to capitalise on their advantage. The Bombers were getting more of the ball, preventing the Bulldogs from creating the opportunities they were looking for. The Bulldogs would manage four goals, but the Bombers’ hard work in the opening quarter was rewarded with three goals into the wind, and the Bulldogs led by five points at the first change.
But the run of play changed significantly when the second quarter started. While in the first term the Bombers had looked the stronger side while going into the wind, in the second term they failed to make anything of their advantage. It wasn’t the style of football the Bombers were looking for, as they turned the ball over too often and struggled to hit their targets. The Bombers would manage just two goals in the second term; while the Bulldogs scored three into the wind. And against expectations, the Bulldogs won the quarter, stretching their lead to 11 points at half time.
A scrappy third quarter saw the Bulldogs extend their advantage. The Bombers had to fight to hold the Bulldogs back, but were able to achieve this with some dogged defence and hard work to maintain possession. But despite the Bombers’ efforts, it didn’t look to be enough as the Bulldogs managed three goals to one in the third term, leading by 21 points at three quarter time.
The Bombers were coming home with the wind, but they were coming from a long way behind. Tired legs were struggling to maintain the pace; but the Bombers looked fitter. And the combination of stamina and the kicking wind would see them slowly but surely peel back the deficit. The Bulldogs struggled to get the ball anywhere near their forward 50, while the Bombers were full of running and every time they propelled the ball forward, their hopes began to rise. The Bulldogs did not add another goal during the final term; while the Bombers’ fourth saw them take the lead for the first time in the game, with one more in the dying seconds being the icing on the cake.
A stirring comeback win for the Bombers maintains a share of the competition lead; pulling off a remarkable win in a game that had looked out of their reach for much of the afternoon. Wayd Blackburne was again unstoppable up forward to finish with four goals; while James Cubis, Jono Marsh and Erol Sertbas featured prominently around the ground.
Johnny Pawle, Jason McAnespie and Jesse Aish were best for the Bulldogs. But after looking to have this game under control for most of the day, the Bulldogs will be disappointed that this was one that got away. They’ve had two close games so far, but the search for the first win of 2018 will have to wait another week.

Premier Division newcomers Camden made the long drive to Weldon Oval buoyed by a first-up win against Wests. But the Cats were handed a lesson in tough away travel when they were never in the hunt against Manly, with the Wolves prevailing by 56 points.
The Wolves were coming off a heavy defeat in the opening round; and knew they had to hit back hard in this game. And from the start they wasted no time in asserting their dominance, tackling and dispossessing the cats out of the contest. A stiff swirling wind going across the ground made converting scoring opportunities difficult, and the Wolves sprayed several chances wide of the big sticks. But with the Wolves managing four goals and keeping the Cats scoreless, the home side was leading by 32 points at quarter time.
The Cats broke their scoring drought early in the second term, but they never looked like getting back into the contest. The Wolves’ pressure was relentless, and with their confidence returning they were getting the bulk of possession and the Cats were denied the opportunity to build any form of coherent attack. It was another quarter of vintage Manly footy, as they added six goals to three and went into the rooms at half time with a 52-point lead.
Camden were more competitive in the second half, but the damage was done. It had been a tough test for the competition newcomers against a team who had themselves only come into Premier Division a few years ago but had already twice lifted the premiership cup. The Wolves were on their turf and playing their brand of footy, piling on the pressure and forcing the Cats into unforced errors. The third term yielded four goals to two in favour of the Wolves, and the home side had a lead of 68 points at three quarter time.
To Camden’s credit, although well beaten, they refused to capitulate; and salvaged something from the contest by winning the last quarter. Much of the sting had gone out of the contest, but the Cats kept fighting hard with the odds stacked against them, and recovered some of the damage to their percentage with a return of five goals to three in the final term.
Hayden Washington took control of the forward line to finish with five goals for the Wolves; while Eric Burke, Aidan Butler and Kyle Martin were Manly’s best around the ground. After a heavy defeat in the opening round, this was a much-needed morale-booster for the Wolves; and important in developing momentum for the season as it develops.
Ben Yakimov, Josiah Ayling and Flynn fielding never gave up for the Cats. But it wasn’t enough to prevent a significant margin in Camden’s first defeat in Premier Division. It was a learning experience for a team not used to being at this level; and there are lessons they will take on board for the future.

UTS took a share of the competition lead when the Bats completed their second win on the trot, a 19-point win over Wests in a scrappy, low-scoring contest at Picken Oval on Saturday afternoon.
The first quarter was an arm-wrestle as two desperate teams looked for an advantage over each other but came out blank. After going down to Camden in the opening round, the Magpies were at home for the first time, and enjoyed the challenge of being back on familiar turf. It was a tight and tough quarter of football that would see two goals apiece being scored, and the Magpies leading by two points at the first change.
The Bats took the upper hand in the second quarter with three unanswered goals. It wasn’t easy to score in a tight, physical contest where bodies were on the line with every possession and loose touches were hard to find. The cross-wind, blowing the ball towards the wings, also made it difficult to kick long and straight. But with a 19-point advantage at half time, the Bats were well set.
Wests had their chances to get back into the game in the third quarter. They emerged from the rooms at half time looking stronger around the ground, and winning the fights for possession more often than not. But when the scoring chances came, too often they were squandered. An inaccurate return of 2.5 for the quarter would frustrate the Magpies, when better conversion of their opportunities could have placed the Bats under scoreboard pressure. But as it was, although the Bats managed just three scoring shots for the quarter, they were all goals; and for all the efforts of the home side, the Bats won the quarter and led by 20 points at the last change.
The Magpies still had a chance to steal the game, but the Bats’ defences tightened and the Magpies were unable to bridge the gap. The game wasn’t one that reached any great heights, the last quarter especially so. Just one goal apiece was scored in the last quarter, as the Magpies pressed desperately to find the scores to snatch the contest but the UTS defence held firm and inpenetrable.
Daniel Crouch, Rawson Kirkhope and Scott Jansen were best for the Bats in a game where they had to scrap and battle for every possession but got the job done. After missing out on the finals last year, the Bats have got off to the ideal start in 2018 with two wins to kick-start their campaign; and hopes are rising in the black and green camp that they can make a significant impact this year.
Callan Dell, Tyler Blake and Daniel O’Connell kept putting in for Wests, doing everything they could to keep the Magpies in the contest. The Magpies had gone down fighting, and although looking outgunned, their effort could not be faulted. They finished with more scoring shots than the Bats; but their third quarter misses in particular cost them a shot at victory. But the Magpies, a team with several new players this season, are yet to break through for their first win; and their best football will likely come as the season unfolds and their numerous new names have had more time to form themselves into a coherent unit.

Two opening-round winners in blue and gold faced off at Henson Park on Saturday afternoon when Sydney Uni hosted East Coast Eagles. And it would be the Students who would prevail to join North Shore and UTS with a share of the ladder leadership but not before a contest of fluctuating fortunes.
The Eagles were kicking with the wind in the first quarter, but their inaccurate finishing would come back to haunt them and would put them up against the odds for the rest of the afternoon. The Eagles created plenty of chances, but their scoreline of 1.5 would cost them dearly. Against the run of play, the Students would pick up two goals at the other end to lead by two points at quarter time; but the Eagles had the better of play for much of the quarter.
The Students made better use of the wind in the second quarter, kicking three goals to one to lead by 15 points at the long break. But the Students had plenty more opportunities, only to cough the ball up in the forward 50 in the face of some desperate Eagle defending. Conditions weren’t helpful, with an inconsistent wind making it difficult to move the ball long with confidence or certainty; and both sides found themselves playing a short-passing game more often than they would have preferred.
When the Eagles had their second chance with the wind, they needed to lift and convert their opportunities better than they had in the first term. To some extent they were able to achieve that, as they won the quarter by three goals to one. But too few chances were created, as the Uni defence stood their ground. Time and again the Eagles would get the ball inside the 50 only to see it immediately rebound out again. For all their efforts, the Eagles were unable to take the lead during the third term. Seven points ahead and coming home with the wind, there was a spring in the step of the Students players as they went into the three quarter time huddle.
But the game wasn’t over yet. The Eagles found another gear, one they really could have used when they had the wind. But they kept fighting, and kept themselves within striking distance. It was a quarter that yielded three goals apiece, as the Eagles threatened to steal the game from the Students’ grasp only for the Uni team to come up with the answering goals when they were needed. The Eagles had fought hard, but the clock would run down with the Students maintaining the lead.
It was a 10-point win for the Students. Close, but enough to get over the line and remain undefeated. Monty Krochmal, Tom Ayton and Michael Nettheim featured prominently for the Students, standing tall when the pressure was on and getting the team over the line. They were put under genuine pressure in this contest, but got the job done.
Trent Stubbs was magnificent in his fight for the Eagles, kicking four goals on a day when scoring was at a premium; while Roger Haupt and Jamie Vlatko also put in key contributions for the Eagles. In the context of a season when the Eagles are hoping to return to the finals, it was disappointing for them to lose this contest; but they showed they can compete against one of the competition heavyweights. Had they kicked straight in the first quarter and put some scoreboard pressure on, they may even have won it.

Black - Confirmed finallistsGreen - Currently in a finals position, but not yet guaranteed a place in the finalsBlue - Not currently in a finals position, but still a chance to qualifyPurple - Will not be competing in the finalsRed - Wooden spoon